The poll, which is the first since a fraud-ridden presidential election last year, is a test of the Afghan government’s ability to conduct a safe and fair vote after months of countless pledges of reform.

We must end the violence. It is important for democracy

Olympic athlete Robina Jalali, 25, is defying male tradition, death threats and the Taliban by standing as a parliamentary candidate.

Ms Jalali, who competed in the women’s 100 metres in Beijing in 2008, said she was determined to help to rebuild her shattered country.

“In this election there is a record number of female candidates,” she said. “At least 399 are still in the race. Of course we are worried about losing our freedoms but if the Taliban accept the constitution, if they let women work and play sport and go to school and go to university, then we won’t have any problems with them.” She added: “I was a champion athlete for 10 years but I am far more nervous about this than about my races. People must go out and vote to make sure that we get a true and representative result and that the country gets a chance to heal and to grow.”

Before she entered politics, Ms Jalali used to be in Kabul Bank’s television commercials before the bank, which is part-owned by President Karzai’s brother Mahmood, was plunged into a financial crisis.

She rejects claims that her campaign has been bankrolled by her old bosses who supported President Karzai’s campaign last year.

The President’s recent advances to the Taliban have raised fears that women’s rights will be sacrificed as part of a hastily drawn up political compromise with the insurgents. But political leaders say that any lasting peace will only be secured if the Taliban is part of the solution.

Ahmadi Farid, another female candidate, blew on her ink-stained finger before casting her vote at her local polling station in Heart, western Afghanistan.

She, too, hopes to help women have a say in Afghanistan’s future.

“Our country is at a turning point and we all have to work together to make sure that we find a peaceful solution and that this violence comes to an end,” she said.

Rockets continued to strike leading cities through the course of polling day. After the first slammed into the capital Kabul just before dawn, strikes followed in a number of eastern cities, as well as some of the bigger cities in Kandahar and Nimroz provinces.

A rocket in northern Baghlan province killed two civilians. A police spokesman admitted that many had also been injured but said counting casualties had been difficult.

About 2,500 candidates are vying for 249 seats in the parliament, although official observers remain concerned that many voters, fearful of Taliban threats of violence, will stay away from the polling stations.

Police patrolled most polling stations in the hope that enough electors would be able to cast their vote and give the election result legitimacy.

In Kandahar, a notorious Taliban stronghold in the south, voters ventured out of their homes and headed to the polling stations in small groups, despite the rocket attack and several blasts across the city.

Convoys of vehicles also attempted to ferry voters to and from the polls, many covering their faces to keep their identities hidden.

One of the bombs hit the convoy of governor Tooryalai Wesa as it drove between voting centres but no one was injured.

He urged Kandaharis to come out and vote, saying not to do so would be giving in to those who prefer violence to democracy.

“The situation is under control. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” he said. “The enemy wants the election to fail, so if you want the insurgents out of your land, you’ll have to come out and vote.”

Mohammad Omar, governor of Kunduz province, said many people were staying away from the polls until later in the day. He added: “People are in their homes and they want to see what the security situation is. They will come to vote later.”

The plea to vote was echoed by president Hamid Karzai who said: “As in every election, we hope there will be a high voter turnout and that nobody will be deterred by security incidents.”

Casting his ballot at a high school near his presidential palace in Kabul, Mr Karzai chatted to students who had come out to cast their votes.

“This is for Afghanistan’s future,” said student Sohil Bayat. “People do not want the Taliban back so every Afghan must come out and vote.”

West of Kandahar city, there were lines of voters in Zhari district, where Taliban leader Mullah Omar’s radical Islamic movement was born 16 years ago before it started turning Afghanistan back into a medieval country.

Hundreds of Afghan and international troops spent yesterday securing the area where insurgents were attempting to terrorise ordinary civilians into staying at home.

“People are fed up with the Taliban, that’s why they’re coming out more and more, so they can get rid of the Taliban,” said Saleh Naeem, a businessman. “Because of the Taliban, business is in a bad condition in Zhari.”

The Taliban warned ahead of the elections that those who cast ballots and those working at the polls would be attacked.

In the north, terrorist insurgents on motorbikes attacked a polling station in the Sayyad district of Sar-e-Pul province. Ten Afghan police trainees guarding the centre ran off when the insurgents attacked and stole ballot boxes but election workers managed to escape.

In Khost, at least one person was wounded when a bomb exploded in a school yard next to a polling centre. Voting resumed after about an hour.

At a mosque in eastern Kabul, former schoolteacher Aziza, 48, said she had travelled from her home on the outskirts of the city the night before because voting was safer in the city centre.

“Even though I heard about those rocket attacks, I wanted to vote,” she said. “Today is a historic day for Afghan people and very important for democracy.”